St. Albert woman starts tricycle passion project to help seniors connect with nature

Martina Rouault can be seen taking a local senior and her daughter for a tricycle rickshaw ride in St. Albert. She volunteers her time and her ride through her retirement project Tricycle for Three. (Nahreman Issa/CTV News Edmonton)

Martina Rouault is helping local seniors connect with nature, one ride at a time.

Tricycle for Three is Rouault’s retirement passion project and offers local seniors free rides in a specialty tricycle rickshaw.

“Before my mom passed away, I really had a hard time seeing how many people in her care unit never had company, never had visitors and they never got out of their rooms,” she said. “I felt the need to change something.”

“And being that I love cycling and I love being with seniors, I decided that this was going to be my thing,” she added.

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Rouault said she was inspired by Cycling without Age, an organization that offers rickshaw rides to seniors to help combat loneliness.

She said her own specialty rig cost more than $17,500. Since buying it two years ago, she has given about 200 rides.

There aren’t many requirements beyond signing a waiver, wearing a seatbelt and a helmet – and trying to enjoy themselves, Rouault said.

Laureen Wright and her daughter Lisa Pape took a ride on Thursday.

“I really wanted to do something for my mom’s 89th birthday that she would enjoy, because she’s a big nature lover and she used to be a long-distance cycler,” Pape said.

Wright was always an outdoorsy person, loving hiking, biking and cross country-skiing. However, she said mobility issues have made it difficult to get outdoors very much anymore.

“So this really is an exceptionally wonderful thing for me to do,” Wright said.

“It was wonderful, a real treat for me, that’s for sure,” she added. “The sun coming through the trees, beautiful flowers. It was a lovely experience.”

Dr. Ganz Ferrance said there are emotional and social benefits for seniors taking a ride outdoors.

“We know from studies that when people are out in nature they feel calmer, they feel clearer, they feel more connected and just generally better,” he said.

There are physical benefits too, he added, even if they aren’t pushing the pedals themselves.

For example, lower blood pressure and a stronger immune system.

“All these physiological things happen when we’re happy and in a good mood and connected,” he added. “Even just eye contact and a smile and a little ‘Hello’ does wonders for people, right?

“But especially if you’ve been kind of secluded or in the same environment for a long time, like seniors.”

Rouault said she also benefits from the rides, and it makes her happy to see the joy that shared experience can bring.

“It’s my gift to our senior community,” she said. “I worry that they do get overlooked too often, and it makes me feel full-hearted that I can do even just a little bit in our community.”

Rouault gives rides between May and October each year. If you would like to book a ride, you can reach Rouault on Facebook or by emailing [e-mail].

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Nahreman Issa